BUSINESS ground to a halt at Mutare Civic Centre yesterday after scores of workers stormed council offices demanding their outstanding salaries.
BY OBEY MANAYITI STAFF REPORTER
The demonstrating workers said they had not been paid for up to seven months. Most of the protesters were part of the close to 200 contract workers laid off early this week after council claimed it no longer afforded paying them as its coffers had run dry.
Police were later called to break the protest which was turning rowdy.
“We have a letter which we were given on Monday to the effect that our money will be paid on the 10th of this month through the bank,” a council worker, Peter Kauswa, said. “We were advised to check at our banks today (yesterday), but when we enquired at the banks we were told there was no money for us so we then decided to come here.”
Kauswa said workers were tired of being taken for granted by council.
“It is time for us to stand up for our own rights. They called police apparently to intimidate us, but we are not afraid of anything because we are demanding what is ours,” he said.
A letter advising workers that their money would be paid by yesterday was signed by the human resources and finance director. It read: “This letter serves as an understanding by City of Mutare that the 26 employees whose contracts of employment have not been renewed will have their outstanding salaries (which will constitute terminal benefits) paid through the bank on or before 10 April.”
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Part of the outstanding salaries dated back to May last year.
Workers vowed to stay put until their dues were paid.
“The strategy which is being used now is to promise people another contract so that they desist from demanding their salaries. This is not correct and our senior officials have been giving us a lot of unfulfilled promises hence we are showing them what we can do to force them to pay us,” another worker, Helen Zimunya, said.
Some of the demonstrators accused council of unfair labour practices. They said they had been working for council for the past five years only to have their contracts abruptly terminated at a time they were owed up to seven months’ salaries.
The employees only dispersed after finance director Lloyd Musasa advised them that their money would be reflecting in their bank accounts by yesterday afternoon.
Mutare mayor Tatenda Nhamarare said the city was currently broke. He said efforts were being made to clear the salary arrears.
